Deparaffinator



Patented Oct. 27, 1936 PATENT OFFICE DEPARAFFINATOB minnow Ballet andFranz Keller, Moreni,

' Rumania.

Application June 10, 1935, Serial No. 25,958 In Rumania September 22,1934 4 Claims. (Cl. 16618) posited on the inner wall of the tubing sothat a removal of paraffin is absolutely necessary for maintainingproduction. This has hitherto been effected by means of a cylindrical orhelical cutter inserted in the tubing, which method however hasimportant disadvantages, one of which is that the cutter has to beinserted in the bore hole on a cable of suitable length and has to beoperated from above by means of a special machine.

The present invention relates to means for removing paraflin which arevery simple and allow of the removal of paraflin being carried out in avery easy and convenient manner, theparafiln removing device beingarranged from the start directly in the tubing and being set inoperation completely automatically by the gas pressure prevailing in thetubing.

In the accompanying drawing a constructional example of a deviceaccording to the invention is illustrated.

Fig. 1 is a general view of the device arranged in the tubing, i I

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the parefiin removing deviceitself, 1

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections through the upper and lower shock absorbers,

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal "section of a further shock absorber arrangedbelow that shown in Fig. 3,

Figs. 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d show cross-sections through variousconstructions of the paraffin removing device, and

Fig. 7 shows a paraffin removing device of different construction.

The deparaflinator according to the invention consists of areciprocating scraping element l,

which is arranged in the interior of the tubing 2 and rests against theinner wall thereof with small play. The element 1 is provided at itsupper end with a disc-like web 3, below which at a certain distance is asecond web 3', each web being fitted with a central circular opening 4,4. Both webs 3, 3' are inserted and secured in a suitable manner in theinner wall of the tubing. Between the two webs 3, 3' is a ball 5, whichis somewhat larger than the circular opening 4, 4' and which is forcedagainst the holes 4' or 4 when the element l rises or fallsrespectively, and in this simple manner acts as a valve.

In order to hold the element l at the upper and lower ends after it hascompleted its up and down movement in the tubing, suitable shockabsorbers are provided at the ends. The shock absorbers each consist ofa sleeve 6, which is screwed to the two adjacent lengths of tubing andis provided at one end with a circular web 1, while above or below itthere is provided a length. 5 of tube 8, which is movablein the sleeve.Between the movable tube 8, and the circular web 1,

a spiral spring 9, secured thereto in a suitable manner is stretched.

The mode of operation of the deparaflinator i0 is as follows:

When the connection between the tubing 2 and the boring tube 2 has beenmade by opening the cocks ll, IS in the connecting pipe IS the element lis forced downwardly by the gas lift in the tubing on account of thepressure of the gas which is forced iirthrough the pipe 20, whichpresses the ball 5 into the hole 4' of the web 3', and thereby forms avalve. After the element I has been arrested in its downward movement bythe lower shock absorber provided in the sleeve it will be forcedupwardly again by the pressure of the mixture of gas and crude oil whichhas been forced upwardly in the tube, whereby the ball 5 will pressagainst the opening 4 in the web 3 and thus form a valve in the oppositedirection. During these automatically produced up and down movements ofthe element I caused by the pressure of the gases which are introduced'or by the pressure of the mixture of crude oil shock absorber a furtherspecially constructed 40 shock absorber, the details of which are shownin Fig. 5. This consists of two. resilient arms ID, ID, the lower endsof which are constructed as hinges, while at the middle they areconnected with helical springs l2, l2 arranged and *supported in branchpipes H, II. The upper ends of these resilient arms l0, ID are hinged tohorizontal arms I 3, l3, each of which is pivoted through a vertical arml4, I! to a second horizontal arm l5, l5, to the outer end of which issecured a rope or cable l6, l6.

This specially constructed shock absorber is very effective because onaccount of the strongly resilient arms l0, l0 theelement I rising andentering between them in most cases does not pass right through but isstopped between the upper ends of the arms III, I By pulling on the tworopes IS, IS the arms II), III are drawn apart so that the element I candrop and descend again.

If however the element I should pass between the arms I 0, I0 its speedwill be reduced to such an extent that it can be arrested by theordinary shock absorber I, 8, 9 provided above.

The deparaflinator I may be constructed in various forms, for example asa simple straight sided and smooth walled tube with round (Fig. 6a),hexagonal or polygonal cross-section, in which case it will simply moveup and down. It may however, also be constructed in such a manner thatwhile moving up and down it will also rotate. This is efiected by givingthe element a helical shape (Fig. 6b) or by providing a smooth walledtube on its outer surface with helical channels (Fig. 60), whereby inboth cases a rotary movement can be obtained during the up and downmovement of the element I. The element I may have any shape which willproduce such a rotary movement, for example, as shown in Fig. 7, whichshows an arrangement In which the deparaflinator consists of a rotarymember II which is helical and cross shaped in cross-section and acylindrical ball valve I8.

The arrangement according to the invention as described and illustratedis suitable both for continuous and for intermittent gas lift.

Since the deparaflinator on account of being grasped between the armsII), III of the shock absorber will be somewhat compressed at its upperend it is advisable, after a certain number of up and down movements, todraw the element I through a template so as to force it back to itsoriginal shape.

The constructional form described and illustrated is only intended as anexample and can be varied in any suitable manner in the sense of theinvention without exceeding the scope thereof, the essence of theinvention consisting in an automatic up and down movement of thedeparafiinator proper caused automatically by the gas pressure withsimultaneous rotation, and the provision of ordinary and speciallyconstruct ed shock absorbers for arresting the deparafllnator at theupper and lower end of the tubing. Obviously the varieties of shockabsorbers described here can be replaced by similar elements of otherconstruction.

What we claim is:--

1. In combination, an oil well flow tubing, a reciprocating element,disposed within the flow tubing and comprising a length of tube, twocentrally apertured webs arranged transversely in the tube, a ballmovable in the tube between the discs and adapted to seat against oneaperture or the other under the action of pressure for enabling theelement to be driven up and down in the tubing by fluid pressure, theelement being capable of rotation with the tubing and being adapted toscrape paraffin deposit, off the inside of the tubing, and shockabsorbers at the upper and lower ends of the tubing for arresting thereciprocating element at the ends of its travel.

2. In combination, an oil well flow tubing, a reciprocating elementadapted to travel up and down within the tubing and to rotate thereinand to scrape paraffin deposit off the inside of the tubing, and shockabsorbers at the upper and lower ends of the tubing for arresting thereciprocating element at the ends of its travel, each comprising asleeve in line with the tubing, an inwardly projecting flange near oneend of the sleeve, a movable tube in the sleeve, adapted to interceptthe reciprocating element and a helical spring between the movable tubeand the flange.

3. In combination, an oil well flow tubing, a reciprocating elementadapted to travel up and down within the tubing and to rotate thereinand to scrape parafiin deposit off the inside of the tubing, shockabsorbers at the upper and lower ends of the tubing for arresting thereciprocating element at the ends of its travel, and a third shockabsorber near the upper end of the tubing comprising two resilient armspivoted at their lower ends and having their upper ends inclinedinwardly to intercept the reciprocating element, springs urging theupper ends inwardly, and rods and levers for swinging the arms outwardsto release the reciprocating element after same has been caught betweenthem.

4. In combination, an oil well flow tubing, a reciprocating element,disposed within the flow tubing and comprising a length of tube, twocentrally apertured webs arranged transversely in the tube, a ballmovable in the tube between the discs and adapted to seat against oneaperture or the other under the action of pressure for enabling theelement to be driven up and down in the tubing by fluid pressure, and ahelical portion for imparting rotary motion to the element whentravelling in the tubing, the element being adapted to scrape paraffindeposit off the inside of the tubing.

DUMITRU BALLET. FRANZ KELLER.

